David S Fowler

US Patent:

6654205, Nov 25, 2003

Filed:

Nov 1, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/430878

Inventors:

Matthew A. OHara - Oakland CA
David E. Fowler - San Jose CA

Assignee:

Maxtor Corporation - Longmont CO

International Classification:

G11B 1732

US Classification:

3602363

Abstract:

Sliders having air bearing surfaces are disclosed for use with magnetic recording and reading heads in a magnetic disk drive assembly to reduce the pressure gradients resulting from the flow of air between the slider and the spinning disk. To relieve such pressure gradient, the bottom surface of the air bearing surface at or near the trailing edge includes one or more recesses, which may be one or more steps, inclined ramps, curves or other configurations. Other surfaces of the slider may also include recesses to relieve these pressures. The sliders having air bearing surfaces may be attached to, or integral with, a magnetic recording or reading head in a magnetic disk drive assembly. A method of reducing the formation of pressure gradients is also disclosed whereby air flow between the disk and the head creates a pressure greater than atmospheric, at least a part of which is released through a recess on the air bearing surface of the slider.

US Patent:

6760191, Jul 6, 2004

Filed:

Feb 4, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/067566

Inventors:

Wentao Yan - Fremont CA
David E. Fowler - San Jose CA

Assignee:

Maxtor Corporation - Longmont CO

International Classification:

G11B 1702

US Classification:

360128, 360 9702

Abstract:

A head suspension assembly for a disk drive that inhibits thermal pole tip protrusion includes a slider assembly having a slider exterior surface including a trailing surface, a slider interior region that is defined by the slider exterior surface, and a write head having an electrically coupled write coil positioned within the slider interior region. The write coil generates heat during write operations of the disk drive. The slider assembly also includes a heat dissipater positioned substantially within the slider interior region. The heat dissipater is electrically isolated from the write coil, and has a thermal conductivity of at least approximately 50 W/mK.

US Patent:

8159156, Apr 17, 2012

Filed:

Aug 10, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/538806

Inventors:

Robert Henig - Palo Alto CA, US
David Fowler - Union City CA, US
Jeremy Stieglitz - Menlo Park CA, US
David Leonard - Danville CA, US
Mark Covaro - Sonoma CA, US

Assignee:

Redwood Systems, Inc. - Fremont CA

International Classification:

H05B 37/02
H05B 39/00

US Classification:

315363, 315294, 315312, 315360, 315297, 340 125

Abstract:

A lighting system for areal illumination is disclosed which includes a remote driver and a plurality of fixtures including luminaires, control devices, and/or standalone sensors. A method of commissioning a lighting system is also disclosed which includes causing a light source co-located with each luminaire to emit a signal, detecting the signal at light sensors co-located with each luminaire, converting the signals obtained by the light sensors into distance measurements between luminaires, creating a map recording the relative location of luminaires, and assigning luminaires to groups based on their relative locations in the map. A movable orb region containing luminaires can also be defined.

US Patent:

8381981, Feb 26, 2013

Filed:

May 3, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/772887

Inventors:

David Fowler - Union City CA, US
Mark Covaro - Sonoma CA, US

Assignee:

Redwood Systems, Inc. - Fremont CA

International Classification:

G06K 7/00

US Classification:

235439

Abstract:

A lighting system is disclosed wherein each fixture in the lighting system includes a permanently attached radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. Each fixture also includes either a matching hardwired identification chip or an RFID reader capable of reading the RFID tag. The tags can be used for commissioning the lighting system by reading the tags with a portable reader and assigning or removing fixtures from groups. The tags can also be used for other tasks requiring identification and tracking of specific fixtures.

US Patent:

8456643, Jun 4, 2013

Filed:

Sep 20, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/886408

Inventors:

Vijay Prabhakaran - Fremont CA, US
Wuxing Gan - Fremont CA, US
Ladislav R. Pust - Pleasanton CA, US
David E. Fowler - San Jose CA, US
Lanshi Zheng - San Ramon CA, US

Assignee:

Western Digital (Fremont), LLC - Fremont CA

International Classification:

G01B 11/02
G11B 5/00
G11B 5/596

US Classification:

356507, 356505, 360 75, 360 7703

Abstract:

A method and system for determining a shape of a portion of an air-bearing surface (ABS) of a head residing on a slider are described. The ABS is configured to fly at a fly height from and with a velocity with respect to a disk during normal operating conditions. The method and system include driving at least one heater residing in the head while the slider is substantially at the normal operating conditions with respect to the disk and the fly height. The shape of the portion of the ABS changes in response to the heater(s) being driven. The method and system also include performing Doppler measurements on the slider while the heater is driven. The shape may then be determined based on the Doppler measurements.

US Patent:

20110199004, Aug 18, 2011

Filed:

Feb 11, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/025389

Inventors:

Robert Henig - Palo Alto CA, US
David Fowler - Union City CA, US
Deepak Nulu - Milpitas CA, US
David Leonard - Danville CA, US
Carl P. Zwanzig - Alameda CA, US

Assignee:

REDWOOD SYSTEMS, INC. - Fremont CA

International Classification:

H05B 37/02

US Classification:

315152

Abstract:

Commissioning a lighting system is disclosed. A user can be provided with a pointing device capable of emitting or returning a signal which can be received by detectors co-located with each fixture in the lighting system. The user can add a fixture to a group by aiming the pointing device at the fixture when the fixture is not assigned to the group, and the user can remove a fixture from a group in the same way when the fixture was previously assigned to the group. Additional user gestures are also disclosed.

US Patent:

20110199020, Aug 18, 2011

Filed:

Feb 18, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/708460

Inventors:

Robert Henig - Palo Alto CA, US
David Fowler - Union City CA, US
Deepak Nulu - Milpitas CA, US
David Leonard - Danville CA, US

Assignee:

REDWOOD SYSTEMS, INC. - Fremont CA

International Classification:

H05B 37/02
H05B 39/00

US Classification:

315294, 315312, 315360

Abstract:

A method of commissioning a lighting system is disclosed. A user is provided with a pointing device capable of emitting or returning a signal which can be received by detectors co-located with each fixture in the lighting system. The user can add a fixture to a group by aiming the pointing device at the fixture when the fixture is not assigned to the group, and the user can remove a fixture from a group in the same way when the fixture was previously assigned to the group. This commissioning method can be used with a lighting system comprising a central control unit and a plurality of fixtures comprising luminaires, optional control devices, and optional standalone sensors, wherein each fixture includes a co-located sensor capable of receiving the signal emitted by the pointing device, and a central control unit which can communicate bidirectionally with each fixture. Additional user gestures are disclosed together with methods for the central control unit to acknowledge gestures. Additional communications methods among components of the lighting system are also disclosed.

US Patent:

20120161643, Jun 28, 2012

Filed:

Mar 1, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/409778

Inventors:

Robert Henig - Palo Alto CA, US
David Fowler - Union City CA, US
Jeremy Stieglitz - Menlo Park CA, US
David Leonard - Danville CA, US
Mark Covaro - Sonoma CA, US

Assignee:

Redwood Systems, Inc. - Fremont CA

International Classification:

H05B 37/02

US Classification:

315151

Abstract:

A lighting system for areal illumination is disclosed which includes a remote driver and a plurality of fixtures including luminaires, control devices, and/or standalone sensors. The luminaires include a light source whose output light level can be adjusted, a light sensor co-located therewith adapted to measure light received from adjacent fixtures, and a microcontroller capable of transmitting the output of the light sensor over wires to the remote driver. The remote driver is capable of bidirectional communication with the luminaires and provides independently controllable power for the light sources of the luminaires. A movable orb region containing luminaires can also be defined and the light levels of individual luminaires can be set according to their location within the orb region.